In Sickness and in Health - A Father's Love
by Sad-Blue-Eyed-Angel 2010
Summary: Twelve years pass with widowed Jeff doing his best to raise four boys single handed only to discover another child that he's now got to raise due to tragedy. Parenting has never been as hard as it is now that he's caring for a currently sick kid and trying to make up for the twelve year absence from his son's life. In sickness or in health can a father's love prevail? AU Rated M


_**A/N: So this is a bit of a sequel to Fly Away Home and a prequel to Greatest Gift. It does contain sick Alan and mentions of adult themes - so you have been warned. You don't have to but it's recommended that you read In A Mother's Arms and Fly Away Home before continuing this story - you might be confused by my majorly alternate universe story otherwise. Hope ya'll like this story and I'll only accept constructive criticism and polite reviews, if ya'll are gonna flame me, please don't do it in a review because it will only be deleted.**_

 _ **Reviews are appreciated! =)**_

 _ **Sad-Blue-Eyed Angel 2010**_

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Jeff wandered up the hall as he gave a great yawn. He was going to go check on his son. His son he hadn't known until almost a year ago existed, now lived with him and his brothers ever since his mother Lucy was killed in a car crash. Alan hadn't felt good the night prior and went to bed early with a tummy ache. Jeff had checked on him periodically through the night and his son never stirred but a few moments to groan and press on his tummy before he'd settle back to sleep.

A door up the hall opened and Jeff was surprised to see Kyrano, he was something of a manservant to their house – but he was more family than butler or servant. The Malaysian man bowed his head before he came forward to speak with Jeff. With the care he took with closing his son's bedroom door, Jeff assumed Alan still wasn't feeling good.

"Yes Kyrano?" Jeff asked as he looked at the closed door and the tray in Kyrano's hand laden with what would appear to be peppermint tea and Pepto Bismuth for kids. There was a piece of bland toast left untouched on a plate and Jeff tilted his head in question.

"Master Alan won't eat his toast nor drink his tea. He's crying and asking for his mom. I don't know what to do for him." Kyrano said softly as he glanced over his shoulder at the closed bedroom door.

"Is he okay? Or still sick?" Jeff asked as he felt his heart break for his son. Of course the boy wanted his mom when he was unwell. This was a real first Jeff had to be a parent to his youngest. After the near drowning six months ago, Alan had been good about not getting sick. Until now that is.

"He was sick when I checked on him. Didn't want to leave the bathroom because his stomach was bothering him, so I made a pallet for him out of blankets and pillows so he'd be comfortable if he wanted to lay down." Kyrano looked down at the tray in his hands. "I tried to get him to eat some toast and drink some tea, but he couldn't stomach the smell of it and it only served to make him queasy again."

"Thanks for trying Kyrano, I'll see if I can help him at all." Jeff said softly before he dismissed the retainer and knocked on Alan's door before he entered.

He could hear Alan moaning from behind the bathroom door and he knocked again before he opened the door to peek inside. Alan was curled in a ball on the floor and was moaning pitifully. Jeff opened the door and knelt beside Alan.

"Hi son…your tummy still hurting?" Jeff asked as he felt Alan's clammy forehead for a fever. There was a little fever, but nothing bad quite yet.

The little whimper that escaped Alan's lips nearly broke Jeff's heart. He hated hearing his child feeling so sick. Alan opened his eyes and looked up at him before giving another whimper. Jeff sat on the floor by Alan and pet his son's head.

"What's the matter?" Jeff asked, knowing his son must have caught that stomach bug that was going around the office when Jeff took him along for a business meeting. It was part of the reason Jeff was determined to make rules that if anyone felt under the weather they stay home. His son was sick now because someone came in and had a stomach bug. Alan said he encountered a sick person in the bathroom, but tried to keep his distance. He still got sick for all his efforts.

"Keep wanting to be sick." Alan whimpered as he swallowed. His coloring changed to a slight green color before it went away as the nausea faded. A knock on the adjoining door to the bathroom made both Jeff and Alan look up.

"Come in." Jeff answered. He smiled grimly at his second youngest, the teenager poked his head in the room and took in that his little brother was huddled on the floor in front of the toilet. "What is it Gordon?"

"Just wondering if the bathroom was going to be free at any point…I've got to go but if it's not I can always go ask Virgil or John if I can use either of their bathrooms." Gordon leaned his shoulder against the door jamb. "It's no trouble if the Sprout can't be moved."

"Do you want to go to bed?" Jeff asked Alan as he was prepared to help Alan to bed and free up the bathroom for Gordon's use when a thought occurred to him. "I have some work on my laptop I need to take care of, why don't you come with so I can keep an eye on you?"

"No." Alan moaned. "Your office doubles as the game room. Don't want to pass it around."

"I'll have Scott get my laptop and we'll stay in my room. I have an adjoining bathroom so if you think you'll be sick you can use my bathroom." Jeff said before he made Alan's mind up for him and picked his ailing son up from the floor. "Bathroom is all yours Gordon. I've got your brother."

He was careful to keep the swaying to a minimum so that Alan wouldn't get sick. When they made it to Jeff's bedroom, Jeff lay Alan on the bed and went about getting him set up with the remote to Jeff's TV and a trash can in case of an emergency.

Alan curled into a tight ball and buried himself within Jeff's blankets, moaning miserably. Jeff accessed his watch and sent a signal to Scott. The oldest son answered his watch and Jeff entered the hall way to talk to Scott.

"Hey dad, what's up?" Scott inquired. He seemed to be in the game room, judging on the sounds of a movie or video game playing on the speakers behind him.

"Could you do me a favor and bring me my laptop and those files in the middle of my desk? I'm keeping an eye on your brother and can't leave at the moment." Jeff said even as he heard Alan retching from just beyond his partially opened door.

"Sure, but what's the matter with Alan?" Scott asked. It took some getting used to but Scott eventually lost all hostility towards Alan and became a doting big brother to the little boy. It took a while but after some time Scott was able to let go of the fact that his dad had engaged in an extramarital affair while his late wife had been ill with cancer and on her deathbed.

"He's just throwing up right now, he's fine." Jeff replied. He wasn't fond of hearing his kids sick, but it'd happened every so often that he'd gradually built up a tolerance for the sounds, sights and smell involved with sick child parenting. "Thank you Scott for bringing me my work and when you get here, don't enter my room. Alan doesn't want to pass it around to any of you boys so he's requested to stay away from you all. Just knock on my door and I'll come retrieve my things from you."

"Okay dad, just please…take care of him." Scott requested. He'd hated when his brothers were sick, half-brother or not. "Tell Alan we hope he gets to feeling better soon."

"I can do that son. I'd better go see how he's doing." Jeff said before he disconnected the call to re-enter his bedroom. He sighed softly to himself as he saw Alan lying on his stomach and dangling his head over the wastebasket Jeff put there for emergencies. Moving to sit beside Alan, Jeff began rubbing his back and murmuring soft reassurances as Alan dry heaved. When it seemed like Alan's nausea subsided, Jeff helped his son up and eased him back into the pillows, rolling him onto his back. "Feeling any better son?"

Alan shook his head as he burrowed into the pillows again. "Tummy hurts."

Jeff gently put a hand on Alan's belly and he began to rub clockwise in hopes to relieve Alan's aching tummy. The younger boy breathed shallowly through his mouth before he gradually began to drop off into slumber. Once asleep, Jeff got a cold compress for Alan's forehead and made sure his youngest was comfortable before he settled for flipping channels while he waited on Scott to bring him his laptop and paperwork. Finding a kid appropriate movie, Jeff left it on as he went about caring for his youngest son.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

About ten minutes passed before Jeff gently slid off his bed to answer the knock at the door. He smiled his thanks to Scott who stood outside the door with his father's laptop bag and requested files. Nodding his thanks, Jeff graciously accepted the requested items. He offered a soft whisper that Alan was asleep, before dismissing Scott.

Closing the door, Jeff maneuvered back over to sit on the bed beside a restlessly slumbering Alan. His baby wasn't resting very well and to be honest that bothered Jeff. He hadn't a clue how to make Alan feel better. He'd called his mother the night prior to ask her what she did for him when he had a stomach bug and her best recommendations had been to just wait it out. There wasn't anything more Jeff could do for Alan besides participate in the waiting game for Alan's stomach to quit roiling.

A soft moan from Alan had Jeff shifting his laptop to the side. Reaching out, Jeff palmed Alan's forehead and winced at the noticeably higher fever.

"Son, are you feeling okay?" Jeff murmured softly, leaning closer to talk to Alan. His youngest pried his eyes open and looked up at him. "How's your tummy?"

Alan shook his head and shuffled closer to Jeff. The patriarch raised his arm to let Alan slide under his arm and snuggle against his chest. The youngest whimpered before burrowing into his dad's side – seemingly trying to escape his own body in favor of becoming part of Jeff simply to get away from the illness.

"Still not feeling good?" Jeff inquired while he rubbed Alan's shoulder and back.

"No, daddy make it stop." Alan whimpered as he brought his knees up to his chest.

"Let me know if you might be sick and we'll get you to the bathroom. Only way for you to get better is to get the virus out of your system." Jeff murmured. "Want to try to watch some cartoons? Get your mind off your tummy?"

Alan gave a half-hearted shrug in reply. Jeff put on the Disney channel and he and Alan watched A Goofy Movie until PJ and Max started eating pizza. As soon as the animated pizza made an appearance though, Alan gave a choked gag and sprang from Jeff's arms – sprinting across the room, Alan rounded the corner and began heaving. Jeff was a couple steps behind him and he rubbed Alan's back as the boy was sick again.

"Easy kiddo, take a break." Jeff murmured as he continued to rub Alan's back. He reached out with his free hand and grabbed a washcloth to wet for Alan. Using a trick his mother taught him when he was dealing with three sick kids and a fussy baby, (i.e. Scott, John, Virgil and Gordon), Jeff placed the cool clothe on Alan's throat and gently rubbed. Alan was soon able to relax enough to stand upright, he allowed his dad to lead him back to bed where they settled back in to rest.

Alan was glad to spend time with his dad, even if he was feeling poorly. He barely got to spend time with his dad, the man usually doing projects or filling out paperwork. Alan had begun to look towards Scott as his substitute dad. And while Alan was grateful of Scott, he wasn't his dad. Crawling into bed, Alan heaved a sigh as he rested against his dad's side.

"Feeling any better kiddo?" Jeff asked as Alan wormed his way into his side.

"Hurts dad…make it stop." Alan whimpered miserably. Jeff continued rubbing Alan's back and he turned his eyes back to the television. They'd been in the bathroom a good ten minutes so the scene with the pizza was already well past. Jeff continued watching the TV as he rubbed Alan's back. He did however notice when Alan dropped off to sleep and he leaned down to kiss his son's sweat dampened brow.

"Get some sleep kiddo." Jeff murmured before he hummed softly to Alan. He pulled his youngest impossibly closer and let his son rest against his chest. ' _My son is more important than work. I can do that later after he's gone to bed for the night.'_

Alan slept for an hour straight before waking up slowly. When he woke up, he heaved a sigh before he rubbed his face against his dad's chest. Jeff who had become absorbed in watching Hunchback of Notre Dame turned his gaze from Quasimodo singing 'Out There" to Alan who was rubbing his eyes.

"Hey son, how was your nap?" Jeff asked as he muted the TV in favor of focusing solely on his son. Alan continued rubbing his eyes before he tilted his head back to look at his dad. Jeff reached out and felt Alan's forehead while he waited for Alan to respond and gave a smile when he felt Alan's fever had dropped. The boy felt much cooler than he had previous and that comforted Jeff. He hoped that this meant Alan would soon get better, hopefully this was just a 24-48 hour stomach bug and nothing terribly distressing.

"It was good." Alan mumbled. A small grumble emitted from Alan's stomach and Jeff gazed down at his son. Alan put a hand on his stomach with a look of surprise before he looked up at his dad. "Um…dad?"

Jeff knew what Alan's question would be and he nodded knowingly.

"Yes son?" Jeff inquired.

"Can I have some toast? I'm hungry." Alan inquired. He looked up at his dad with hopeful eyes. Jeff sent a warm smile back in regards.

"Yes, I'll go get you some toast, but I also want you to try to drink some tea. You need something to keep your stomach calm enough for you to digest your toast." Jeff said before he caringly tucked the blankets in around Alan and stood. He pressed a loving kiss on Alan's forehead, before he pulled away. "Stay in bed unless you need to use the toilet, I don't want you putting a strain on your body."

"Yes dad." Alan said before he leaned back in his pillows.

With a single nod, Jeff turned and left the room, intent on fixing some toast for Alan and seeing if Kyrano could fix Alan another mint tea in hopes of easing his stomach. He was happy to hear Alan wanted to eat regardless of probably being sick again later.

When he made it to the kitchen, Jeff walked in and sent a smile to Kyrano and his wife who had recently come to the island. The Malaysian woman spoke little English as of yet, speaking either one of two languages, splitting her time speaking between Malaysian or French to Kyrano or their daughter Tin-Tin. Jeff knew some French, though he still relied on his son John or her husband Kyrano to translate. It'd be a work in progress for their whole household.

"Good afternoon sir, what might I fix for you?" Kyrano inquired.

"Good afternoon Kyrano, Onaha. I'm alright for now Kyrano thank you, I'll be asking if you can make your herbal mint tea for Alan while I fix him some toast though. He's actually feeling hungry at the moment." Jeff said. He went to the bread box and grabbed two slices of bread before depositing them into the toaster.

Kyrano turned to Onaha and said something to her in French, though Jeff was only able to understand herbal mint tea which translated out to _thé à la menthe à base de plantes._ Other than that he was absolutely clueless when it came to understanding what all Kyrano was saying. Onaha though nodded rapidly with a gentle smile before she started rooting around in the cupboard to grab a tea kettle. Jeff watched the middle aged Malaysian woman practically flutter around the kitchen in preparation of the tea. When it finished, Onaha poured a small teacup full. She placed the kettle on a tray for Jeff to take with him when he returned with the tea and toast for Alan.

When the toast came from the toaster, Jeff was quick to place it on a plate and grab up the tray. "Thank you Kyrano, and thank you Onaha."

"No problem sir." Kyrano said in reply. Onaha nodded her head in farewell before Jeff left. Making his way up through the halls, Jeff wandered past the gaming room and could hear his four older sons playing video games. He peered in through the crack in the door with a smile before he continued on his way back to his bedroom. When he made it, he walked in to see Alan sitting back, slouching against the pillows Jeff had placed behind him to help him sit up. The blonde was flicking through the channels aimlessly before he looked over at his dad.

"Here's your food Alan. Now take it slow and if you can only eat or drink a little bit that's fine for now." Jeff walked over and placed the tray over Alan's lap and warned him to be careful with the tea as it was still pretty hot.

Alan carefully picked up the teacup and took a tentative sniff of the tea before he took a small sip. He pulled away from the cup and smacked his lips before taking another sip. Jeff watched with interest as Alan finished the tea he'd been given before pouring another cup. Trying to make sure Alan ate, not filling up on tea – he gently pushed the plate of bland toast towards Alan. Picking up the toast, Alan took a small bite from it. As he chewed, he looked up at his dad. Jeff smiled at the pale boy before he sat beside Alan on the bed.

"How're you doing son?" Jeff inquired. He reached out and placed the back of his hand on Alan's forehead, feeling for a fever. Nodding to himself, Jeff felt relieved when he didn't detect a hint of the fever that had been plaguing the poor boy since the night before.

"Better, thank you." Alan said, his accent slipping out. Jeff noticed that Alan had been trying to hide his accent, listening to how his brothers talked and trying to mimic them. Only when the boy was tired or like now, felt too sick to put on an act did he let his accent out. It didn't bother Jeff that Alan sounded different…that was something that reminded him of his late wife and Alan's mother during their brief tryst. He honestly didn't think it right for Alan to try to cover up a part of himself like that. He was born and raised in New Zealand, that's something he should be proud of. His heritage, regardless of his grandfather or in Alan's language…ruau bastardizing him because of Jeff's paternity.

"When you finish your toast and your tea, I want you to try to get some more rest. I can't imagine you got much in the way of sleep feeling poorly all last night." Jeff said as he noted to himself that Alan had finished his toast, or most of it…he was working on the last piece – though it was slow going.

"Yes, dad." Alan murmured before placing the second piece of half eaten toast back on the plate. "I'm really tired."

"Best get some sleep then." Jeff said as he removed the tray from over Alan's lap and placed it on the night stand in his bedroom. He stood above Alan and helped the younger get situated in his bed before he leaned down and pressed a loving kiss on Alan's brow. "Go on, I'll stay with you."

Alan looked up at his dad and offered a small painful smile before he closed his eyes with a sigh. He fell asleep quickly, barely giving acknowledgement when his dad pulled the covers up over Alan's shoulders and gently tucked some of his blonde curly hair back behind his ear.

"Sleep tight kiddo." Jeff murmured before he picked up the tray and hauling it out of the room. Alan finished the tea upon inspection and ate all but a couple bites of his toast. When he walked down the hall, he rounded the corner and came face to face with his four boys that had gone to the kitchen in search of food. Gordon was holding a bowl and a telltale popping sound was coming from the microwave which Jeff knew to be popcorn while John was blending what appeared to be an assortment of fruits into smoothies. Scott was leaning against the counter talking to his brothers and Virgil was sitting on the counter top, teasing Gordon who tried to hit him with the empty bowl. Jeff cleared his throat and as a result got the undivided attention from his four sons.

Jeff honestly found it hard to believe that almost a year ago it had just been the five of them…nobody knew Alan existed, his sons hadn't been made aware of his infidelity to his late wife and things had never been any more different. Now they had another mouth to feed and Jeff honestly did feel more complete. He and his late wife had always aimed for five kids, but when she got sick that became nothing but a pipe dream.

"Hey dad, how's Alan feeling?" Gordon was the first to ask. He shared a bathroom with his kid brother, so he'd been the first to initially go and wake Jeff when he heard Alan gagging earlier this morning. However when Jeff had gone to Alan's room to check on the boy, he was curled up in a ball on his bed and whimpering in a light doze. Then Jeff made it a point to periodically check on Alan through the night and into this morning when he took Alan to his bedroom so he'd have use of a bathroom he wouldn't have to share with anyone.

"He's better, sleeping right now. Managed to eat a bit of toast and drink some tea." Jeff said as he discarded the piece of half eaten toast and washing the cup himself so that nobody but him would come in contact with whatever sickness struck Alan down. Jeff would prefer that nobody else get this bug, it was bad enough that Alan got it.

"Any idea what made him sick?" Virgil asked, his middle child being more interested in the medical side of things.

"He was in the bathroom when I took him to work with me last week and one of my employees was sick with a stomach bug. My best guess is they both touched the door knob and Alan unfortunately contracted the bug." Jeff said with a shrug.

"I thought you had a rule established that said if you were sick not to be at work?" John asked as he quit blending smoothies in favor of pouring them in glasses and putting straws in. He had some spare so he poured a small glass for his dad and gave it to him.

"I do, but I'm going to put out an email later that says absolutely not to come to work when sick and explain that whoever disregarded the rule passed whatever they had on to my son and he was sick for a few days. Maybe that will make people think again about coming in to work when sick. That's why I give everybody sick leave when they're first hired on and can accrue more sick hours the more they work. Their sick hours aren't just for when their kids are sick but themselves too." Jeff replied with frustration. "Thanks for the smoothie John."

Jeff stayed in the kitchen for a few minutes talking to his sons before his cell phone rang. Checking his caller id, Jeff politely excused himself to his office. "This is a business call I can't miss." He looked at his sons, but shook his head. He wasn't going to expose none of his older sons to whatever Alan had…he'd just take the phone call, explain to his associates that he was working from home because he had a sick child he needed to tend to and try not to stay on the phone for more than a half an hour. Alan would likely stay asleep for a while now that he was out.

TBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTBTB

Alan woke up about an hour later, his stomach was hurting again. He looked around in search of his dad and frowned when he didn't see him anywhere. "Dad?"

Silence answered Alan and the boy frowned again before he sat up. His stomach was really hurting him. Pushing back the blankets, Alan went off in search of his dad. He desired comfort at the moment. His stomach wasn't roiling quite yet, which would tell Alan he'd soon be sick again but instead it was just cramping incessantly. Leaving his dad's room, Alan went off searching for his dad.

"Dad?" Alan asked softly, noticing the lilt in his voice. He didn't care though, he was too tired to hide it. "Dad?"

Who he saw next was someone unexpected but he smiled sadly and bowed his head. It was their family's new housekeeper Onaha. She gave a soft sigh before she pulled a scarf like garment back into place over her shoulder. She stepped forwards and stopped in front of Alan, clucking at him softly in what Alan knew to be French. He knew a little bit of French, but not enough to be fluent, much like his dad. His mother studied French before she got pregnant with Alan and she'd taught him a little bit.

Onaha put her palm on Alan's forehead, going silent before she gave a soft yet sad hum of disapproval. She wrapped a loving and gentle arm over Alan's shoulders, leading the boy out to the deck on the patio. She sat down in a deck chair that rocked lightly and patted her knee, wordlessly telling Alan to crawl into her lap. The boy hesitated for a moment before doing as Onaha signaled. Once he'd gotten settled, Onaha began humming and rocking Alan.

The boy though thought the rocking motion would further upset his stomach, but Alan was pleased to discover that Onaha rocking him back and forth was very soothing and relaxing for the younger boy. He rested his head on Onaha's shoulder and found himself struggling to stay awake. Onaha started singing softly to Alan and it brought a tear to Alan's eyes, it happened to be the same song his mother used to sing to him when he was growing in her presence. He couldn't understand the words, but he recognized the melody.

With his bottom lip trembling, Alan further nestled his head in against Onaha's shoulder. He clutched at the scarf Onaha wore and buried his face in Onaha's neck before the tears began to fall. The motherly housekeeper stopped singing to kiss Alan's fevered cheek before she resumed singing to him. Neither party saw Jeff, disconnecting his cell phone call when he saw the scene unfolding. The patriarch was tempted to back away and let Alan spend time with Onaha, but he knew that if Alan passed whatever he had to Onaha and she passed it to her daughter, the sickness would spread like wildfire through the household and he didn't want anything of the sort to happen. This stomach bug was brutal, if Alan was any form of example to go by.

He pocketed his cellphone and ventured outside to the deck where Alan had fallen asleep not even a few moments earlier. He gestured to Alan and Onaha seemed to get defensive before she allowed Jeff to pick Alan up. When Alan was firmly in Jeff's arms, Onaha stood and began lecturing Jeff in French. The patriarch's eyes widened as he heard the rapid fire sentences spill from Onaha's mouth. He didn't understand any of what Onaha was saying, but she kept gesturing to Alan and waving her arms around with a disgruntled look on her face. When she finished her apparent tirade, she grabbed her scarf and roughly wrapped the fabric over her shoulders before turning to leave. Jeff was left in silence, it wasn't until he realized he was still holding Alan that he decided Alan needed to be back in bed.

He reentered the house and walked down the hall before climbing the stairs. He kept looking down at Alan, still in disbelief that this child, this little boy was really his. He hoped his one night stand with Lucy wouldn't have resulted in a baby, considering he hadn't been safe. He hadn't been prepared for sex with anyone, he hadn't had any condoms or anything to prevent a pregnancy and he never found out from Lucy if she was on birth control or if that was even a thing that was offered to women in New Zealand. He remembered being very distraught when he told Lucy that his wife Maureen had been told by doctors to expect her life expectancy to lessen drastically.

Once he made it to his bedroom and got Alan settled again, he moved to sit at his desk in his bedroom. As he watched Alan sleep, his thoughts traveled back to that night. He remembered Lucy trying to stop him, but he needed relief, not caring how he got it. He'd taken up drinking when Maureen had gotten the diagnoses and hadn't found relief, took up smoking cigarettes worse than a chimney and short of doing drugs he knew he needed a release of emotion. He needed to feel something other than grief.

When he'd undone Lucy's dress, hitched her legs up over his and started a fast pace; his only goal was to feel. Feel the heat in his loins, feel the bliss that came from orgasm, feel his heart racing and feel her fingernails clawing down his back as he moved within her. When he'd finally gotten the relief he'd been craving, he fell asleep for a little while before he woke up to separate from Lucy. He gazed at her, wishing this night hadn't needed to end, but he had obligations back home and that obligation was his wife.

So he left, for twelve years he hadn't known he'd fathered a child with Lucy. It wasn't until a number with a foreign area code persistently rang through. He'd been sitting in meetings, having dinner, in the shower, sleeping, spending time with his other boys and still that same number called him for close to two weeks before Jeff finally answered. He hadn't been pleased when he answered the call and had gotten silence at first, but when he declared who he was and asked who was calling and why – he'd gotten the news that turned his whole world upside down.

" _Hello, this is Amy Wilson with the Child, Youth and Family agency of New Zealand. How are you sir?"_

 _"I'm okay, besides the fact that I've been getting nonstop phone calls from you all. I don't appreciate telemarketers trying to get money from me, so if that's all you're after please remove me from your list." Jeff replied hotly. There was a pause of silence for a few moments before Ms. Wilson spoke up again._

 _"Sir, this is not a scam. I am calling on behalf of one of our newest wards to our system, Alan Shepard Parata. We have written proof on behalf of the boy's deceased mother Lucille Parata that indicates you as his father."_

 _"I'm sorry, excuse me…I don't have another child. I have four boys of my own." Jeff said in major confusion._

 _"I'm sorry sir, but due to a journal entry that was written by the late Lucille Parata and family confirmation, you are Alan's biological father. He's in need of a home now that his mother has passed on and his grandparents have refused to take him. I was left with contacting you as our final option before Alan is to be put in foster care until he's old enough to hold down a job or until he turns eighteen." Amy said._

 _"How old is he?" Jeff inquired. He remembered sleeping with Lucy or legally Lucille many years ago and he hoped that he hadn't been her only one._

 _"He's eleven now, he'll be twelve soon sir…eleven years old and considered an orphan by our standards unless we can contact next of kin and implore of them to take him in and give him a stable home until he is old enough to move out on his own." Amy said, and that literally knocked the wind out of Jeff. He remembered Lucy whispering to him to be slow and gentle when they first began to have sex. She told him she was still a virgin and he'd agreed to go slow. He remembered her brown eyes welling with tears when he took her virginity before instinct took over for them both._

 _"What does he look like?" Jeff inquired, wanting to know what this boy who was said to be his looked like._

 _"I can fax you a picture of him, though he's covered in bruises from the accident he and his mother were in prior to her death." Amy said, she asked for his fax and email and Jeff gave those to her, his mind in a daze. When his fax machine printed the picture of Alan, Jeff knew there was no mistaking it. Alan looked not only like Lucy, but he also had his blue eyes and looked like John when he'd been eleven years old._

 _"Are you positive he's mine?" Jeff asked, wanting to be sure._

 _"Yes, if you'd like we can order a paternity test…but that will be at your expense. According to diary entries and family confirmation, Alan is your biological child." Amy affirmed. "If you decide not to take him in, like I said earlier…Alan will be put up in a state home, more than likely because of his age it'll be a group home – it'll be harder to find a family that'd be willing to adopt…"_

 _As Amy began prattling on about how difficult it'd be to place Alan in a home because of his age, Jeff began covering his own imagined scenarios. Alan growing up without an identity of who he really is due to lack of communication with a father who didn't know he existed then when he found out, refused him a place in the family. A boy who was possibly his being kicked out of the foster system without any direction or plan in life. When he thought further of other things that may befall the lad, Jeff couldn't stomach the idea that if he didn't step up and claim responsibility over his son, he'd have nobody to blame but himself._

 _"Send me the paperwork and I'll step in as his legal guardian. I can't abandon him." Jeff said as he heaved a sigh.'_

And that had been a long drawn out process. He'd had to cut through a bunch of red tape in order to obtain a passport and a license of citizenship for America for Alan just to get him adopted into the family. Once he'd received the adoption papers and gotten those filed, he'd had to arrange flights for Alan taking him from New Zealand to London, but somehow the boy's flight was rerouted to Germany instead and Jeff had to call the airlines and tell one of the personnel to get a message to the pilot and make sure Alan didn't disembark the plane with everyone else. Then from Germany to Paris where they had a three hour delay due to a bird strike causing damage to the plane and it's turbines.

Jeff contacted Lady Penelope and asked if he could borrow Parker. When the plane was due to land, several hours behind schedule might he add; the butler to the English lady was there to retrieve Alan. He gathered Alan and his baggage, comprising of a small suitcase of meager belongings. Jeff felt hurt that Alan had so little, but when he talked to Alan not long after getting to know the boy he revealed he never had much – just the bare necessities. His mum and grandparents weren't rich by any means and generally scraped by with a measly income.

The more he talked to his newfound son, the more he was happy to have stepped in on behalf of Lucy. According to Alan, they didn't actually live in a house. The inn was owned by Alan's ruau and he provided free room and board with nightly meals to Lucy and Alan for work. Alan worked in the inn too, acting as a messenger boy. He ran from the front desk to the rooms that were occupied and back with requests. The inn ran on an old fashioned summoning system with bells that were wired in intricate locations. All a person would have to do if they needed something would be to pull the pull cord beside the bed and Alan or Anna would come running. Jeff remembered the bell system, he was flummoxed when he'd been given a room at the inn only to discover the distinct lack of a phone system. Neither Alan nor Lucy were paid a salary or given wages.

Thinking over it all, Jeff found himself growing angry at Alan's ruau. Sure he'd met the man during his stay in New Zealand but he'd never gotten over how crass he was to those around him. He'd walked in on a heated discussion between Alan's nana and ruau at the front desk and after getting a stiff dismissal from the elder he left. Wandering the beach, soon being joined by Lucy and Anna…both sisters choosing to walk on the beach with him while their parents argued inside rather than to listen to their arguing. He remembered Lucy and Anna wearing threadbare clothing, both young women being content.

He himself couldn't understand how they could be so content, they lived in a poor community and had to work to live at the inn. Jeff honestly couldn't see how Alan was raised in such meager living conditions and not want for more.

Glancing around, Jeff took in all his belongings. He had expensive three or more digit priced business suits and he had a very expensive bedframe with an equally expensive mattress and pillows. He honestly didn't understand how Alan hadn't pestered him or his brothers for more, when the patriarch had asked his sons to take Alan shopping for new clothes – Alan had picked three styles of pants or shorts and only a couple of shirts and only one pair of shoes. He ran around barefoot most of the time, only wearing shoes when they had to go to the mainland for something. When he looked into Alan's bedroom, he had small toys like Legos to tinker with but that was pretty much it. He didn't ask for much else, just small things here and there. A notebook, journal, empty bottles to collect beach sand with and pencils. He led a very simple life and if Jeff or his older sons insisted on getting something more for Alan, the boy would balk over having too much.

Once when Jeff paid Alan his biweekly allowance, Jeff had given Alan twenty five dollars for all his help with Kyrano in the garden and Alan claimed it was too much though his brothers Gordon and Virgil balked over twenty five dollars being small potatoes to what they earn in allowance. But they were older and did more chore wise than Alan could do reasonably. Jeff himself had been astounded when Alan returned the twenty and kept the five for himself, though Jeff began sneaking it here and there – slipping a couple extra dollars into his old pencil box, which he knew Alan kept as a piggy bank.

He wished there was more he could do for Alan, something that would mean a lot to the boy. Unfortunately he couldn't bring back his mother, which he knew Alan wanted most in the world. He wasn't dumb, he knew Alan wished he'd never lost his mother in the accident. He'd done his nightly checks on the boys, adding Alan into the routine now that he was part of the family and had heard the boy full on sobbing. The mournful sound never quit. Alan put on a mask during the day, but when night fell and the twilight obscured the world with its enshrouded darkness – Alan gave in to his melancholy and let his tears fall. Jeff had held Alan on a number of occasions when he'd gone to tuck his son in for the night and walked in on the boy bawling his eyes out. He knew how much Alan missed his mom. Nothing would ever fill that void. Jeff knew that from experience. He'd lost his dad when he was no more than a teenage young man.

At sixteen – Jeff had been out with his dad hiking and something happened – his dad started complaining of chest pain and Jeff did all he could which wasn't much and watched as his dad slipped away from a heart attack. They'd been stranded in the wilderness and Jeff waited until night to fire a distress flare. There wasn't anything he could do for his dad, he did all he could but it hadn't been enough. Thankfully a kind soul saw the flare and fired one in response. When help finally arrived, Jeff told his rescuers his dad passed away after complaints of chest pain and he didn't want to leave him alone. So Jeff knew the pain Alan was feeling with missing his mother.

As he contemplated doing something for Alan, his son groaned and rolled over – puffing a breathe out in discomfort. Jeff stood up and eased over to the bed and sat beside Alan, rubbing Alan's back comfortingly until he fell back asleep. He tucked the blankets back in around Alan and just sat by for a moment. It wasn't until he'd sat by for a moment in silence that it occurred to him there was something he could do for Alan. It'd take some time to do it, but he remembered hearing Alan telling Gordon about his best friend back home. He wondered about what it'd take for him to get in contact with Alan's best friend…did he say his best friend's name was Remi or something?

Making note to himself, Jeff moved back over to his desk to contemplate how he'd go about setting up the surprise for his son. In the meantime, Jeff realized that it was getting close to time for dinner. He didn't want to leave Alan again, but he didn't want to make Alan sick with the smell of food being brought into the room.

… … … … … … …

Jeff waited until Alan woke up to find out if he wanted to eat some soup in the living room, but when Alan shook his head and curled back up to sleep some more – Jeff was ready to forgo eating supper.

"You eat dad. If you don't you'll get sick too." Alan murmured. He sent his dad the puppy dog eyes and Jeff knew he'd lost the battle.

"I don't want to leave you here alone. If you don't want to eat, I'll eat later." Jeff said as he offered the suggestion. He was hungry now, but he didn't want Alan to be alone.

"Can I have some toast in the living room instead of soup?" Alan asked as he ducked his pale face down. He wrapped an arm over his stomach and grimaced. "I don't think I can handle soup."

Jeff scratched at the start of his beard, he hadn't shaved in a while and was beginning to regret it.

"Yeah, that'll be fine. If you want to lay down, just let me know." Jeff said even as he held the blankets up to let Alan crawl from beneath the material. Putting a hand on his shoulder, Jeff steered Alan in front of him. "Do you feel any better than you did earlier?"

"Yeah, but I wish I felt better than I did now too." Alan said, his eyes looking like the dreaded puppy pout that Alan pulled off so well.

"You will, tomorrow I'm sure you'll feel a lot better." Jeff said even as he and Alan made their way down the stairs. When they entered the kitchen, Onaha spotted them immediately and she came right over and fussed over Alan like she had earlier. She felt Alan's forehead and clucked over him endlessly before she went to fix Alan a plate of dry toast. She herded Alan towards the couch in the living room and proceeded to bundle him up in the blankets that were already there from the night before when Alan had first complained of feeling unwell.

Kyrano came out with a tea kettle full of peppermint tea for Alan to sip on while he ate his toast. Jeff leaned against the door jamb and observed the way that the Belegants fussed over his youngest child. He never stopped to wonder over their kindness, seeing the way that Onaha fluffed pillows and propped them behind Alan's back and tucking blankets around him before placing the tray over his lap and just in general babying him.

"How's he doing dad?" Scott asked as he stepped into the doorway to watch the Belegants fussing over the boy. "He's still really pale dad, what's he doing out of bed?"

"He didn't want me to go without dinner so he made a deal with me that he'd come out and try to eat some more toast if I'd come out to eat with you and your brothers. That boy drives a hard bargain." Jeff said as he watched Alan thank Onaha and Kyrano for the toast and the tea. He and Scott returned to the dinner table where Onaha served those gathered after she washed her hands. She and Kyrano conversed lightly while they served the family before they served themselves and sat to eat.

"Hey dad, how's Alan doing? Is he feeling any better?" Gordon asked as he cut into his grilled tilapia. He squeezed the lemon half he'd been given over the meat before biting into the lemon wedge to eat the sour citrus. Only Gordon seemed to like to eat lemons and he'd gladly take his brother's from them instead of throwing them away and he'd eat the lemon, leaving only the rind behind.

"He's better, but his stomach is still a bit iffy. He was sick most of the day and once he'd gotten over it then he just slept the rest of the day." Jeff said as he dug into his meal, blowing lightly to cool the bite of food before putting it into his mouth.

After eating for several minutes, Alan appeared at the door with the blanket from earlier bundled around him. His face was dead white and he had dark circles beneath his eyes, telling anyone who properly studied the kid that he was unwell.

"Dad, I'm going back to bed…" Alan said even as he wrapped his arm around his stomach. "I don't feel good."

"Do you want me to come with you son?" Jeff asked, offering to come with and tuck Alan in and make sure he'd be okay.

The look on Alan's face told those gathered that Alan didn't appreciate at the moment being treated like a kid. "I'm not a baby, you don't have to hold my hand."

With that said, Alan turned and left without another word; leaving his family, the Belegants and the Hackenbacker duo in stunned silence. It took everyone a few moments to recover from the derisive statement and bold refusal of their youngest member. But when they did, it was quiet and mellow John who asked.

"Who spit in his cheerios?" John asked, displeased with his younger brother's refusal.

"John, ease off. He doesn't feel good, you and your brothers don't like being treated like babies when you're unwell. I expect you grant him leniency." Jeff didn't like John or for that matter any of those in his presence to become bothered by someone enacting their independence with a situation. Alan had a right to refuse if he thought he could make it up to bed under his own steam. If he didn't think he could make it, Jeff was sure that Alan would ask for help if he thought he needed it.

"I'm sorry, but it's just you didn't deserve to be treated that way. That was uncalled for." John said but Jeff held up his hand.

"No John, I do deserve it. For almost twelve years all he had to rely on was his mother because I was too much of a coward to stay with Lucy or to at least stay in contact. Now that she's gone, he has no choice but to rely on me and despite living here for almost a year, he's still not quite used to me…or any of us for that matter. He never really got sick like he is now when he lived with his mom because he didn't go out very often. Sure he went to school and haka, but he stayed in decent health – and then he's exposed to the bacteria and viruses that he's not used to and because his immune system is a little different he gets bowled over by the illness." Jeff said in Alan's defense. "Leave him be, all of you."

Once he got his piece said, Jeff stood and deposited his empty plate in the kitchen to be washed before he went to go make sure Alan had gotten to bed okay.

… … … … … … …

The following day found Jeff waking up beside a sound asleep Alan. His son hadn't felt good the night before and had gotten sick just before bed, but then once finished he went to sleep and Jeff followed not long after. Reaching over, Jeff felt Alan's forehead for a fever and smiled to himself when he didn't detect a fever.

Alan woke up not long after and he gave Jeff a dopey smile when he realized who he'd slept next to. Snuggling into his dad's side, Jeff couldn't help but to smile.

"How're you feeling this morning kiddo?" Jeff inquired.

Alan seemed to stop for a few moments as he did a mental catalogue. The smile and the rested look to his face told Jeff exactly what he hoped to hear.

"I feel much better dad." Alan murmured before nestling back down under the blankets and getting comfortable.

"Feel like getting up and having breakfast or still want some toast and tea?" Jeff asked, wanting to be sure of how his son was feeling. He hoped Alan wasn't feeling good now and worse again a few hours from now.

Alan kind of went silent as he contemplated what he was truly hungry for. He kind of looked to his dad again before he replied softly.

"Can I have some toast with some jelly?" Alan asked meekly. He didn't know if he could handle anything heavy in his stomach right now. He didn't want to throw up anymore.

"Sure kiddo, do you want to come with and eat your toast on the couch or did you want to eat your toast at the table with everyone?" Jeff asked as he sat up slightly. He was still a little tired from staying up late with Alan but he'd manage.

"I'll eat with you guys." Alan said softly. He sat up slowly with his dad's help before he slid out of bed to put on his slippers.

"Okay, and if you change your mind or you think you might become sick, just know that if you need to leave the table – you can leave without permission." Jeff gave his blessing ahead of time. After Alan's sharp refusal the night prior and John's snipped response to Alan's refusal – Jeff wanted to avoid another near fiasco if possible.

With a gentle arm around Alan's shoulders, Jeff led Alan from his bedroom and towards the kitchen. Alan leaned into his side, accepting his help in guiding him through the hall. When they arrived to the dining room, Alan gave a half-hearted smile before he leaned his head into his dad's side. Jeff squeezed Alan's shoulder softly before nudging Alan towards the table.

Alan sank down at the table between Gordon and Brains before he ducked his head. Now he was wishing he'd stayed in his dad's room instead of facing his family and friends.

"Hey kiddo, how're you feeling today?" Gordon asked as he looked down at his pale little brother. The boy had lost his tan to a pale skin tone and just looked like he would have preferred to go to sleep instead of remaining awake.

"I'm okay…thanks." Alan whispered. He felt embarrassed to be back with his family. Sure he'd felt sick the last two days, but he felt weird being around his family. He'd never had anyone show so much concern for him when he was sick when he lived with his, mum, Aunt Ana, his Nana and Ruau back in New Zealand. For the last two days, the day prior to his actually being sick – his brothers had seemed to recognize something being off with the youngest member and they'd decided to take it easy and just keep Alan company. When he'd gone to bed early the night he'd actually gotten sick, Gordon had given him a wet clothe to clean his face after he'd thrown up a time or two before going to get their dad for help.

Though he had requested his brothers stay away from him the day prior, Alan knew his brothers had come around when he was asleep. He was always a light sleeper and woke up if someone new entered a room he was sleeping in. Alan knew that when his dad had stepped out of the room to take a phone call, Scott had slipped into the room to keep an eye on Alan before leaving hurriedly when their dad was set to return. Again when their dad had gone to the restroom, Virgil had snuck into the room through their dad's window to check on Alan and he'd left quicker than you could blink so as not to be caught by their dad. The third and final time John and Gordon had entered while Scott and Virgil were keeping their dad distracted – he knew of that plan after hearing John whisper about their brothers being able to keep their dad busy. Alan's brothers had all seen him at his worst and he hoped they wouldn't hold it against him for not feeling well.

Jeff placed a plate with a single slice of toast and jam spread on it in front of Alan. He let his hand trail over Alan's shoulders before going to claim his spot at the table just in time for Onaha to enter with a carafe of coffee and a tray with an assortment of breakfast foods. Alan had only just taken a small bite and was chewing slowly when the smell of cooked meat wafted towards him and Alan held back a gag. With a wrinkled nose, Alan stood and hurried from the kitchen. His brothers all looked off towards the direction Alan ran and John who'd voiced his displeasure the night prior stood to go drag his brother back to the table. Jeff however managed to stay his second oldest and make him sit down to eat with the family.

"John, leave your brother alone." Jeff commanded even as he wanted to go see that his youngest was okay.

"But…" John started but Jeff silenced him with a look.

"I gave your brother explicit permission that if he couldn't handle being in the room or if he felt ill to leave. I didn't want him to make himself sick by staying if he couldn't tolerate the smell." Jeff said even as he regarded each of his children with a careful eye. "None of you are to give Alan a hard time…he was sick until early this morning and his stomach may still be a bit queasy. Leave him alone."

A murmured agreement was made by each of Jeff's sons before they all ate breakfast. When they were all done, Jeff left to go check on Alan and if he was honest, to maybe catch a nap. He was exhausted after staying up with Alan until the wee hours of the morning. He was beginning to feel his age if he was honest and a nap sounded amazing to him.

Walking up the stairs, Jeff stopped in front of his room and contemplated going to check Alan's room, though he doubted his youngest was there. Somehow he'd had a feeling his youngest had retreated to his room instead because it'd be unlikely he'd want to chance an encounter with any of his brothers wanting to pick a bone with him over his sudden departure from the breakfast table.

Jeff eased his own bedroom door open and peered in only to see a child sized lump beneath the blankets. He wandered in himself and sat on the bed next to Alan.

"Hey kiddo, how're you feeling?" Jeff inquired softly in case Alan was asleep.

"Ugh…"Alan moaned from beneath the blanket.

"That good huh?" Jeff asked as he peeled back the blankets obscuring Alan's face. With a gently applied hand, Jeff felt his son's forehead for fever and nodded with a reassuring smile when he didn't find one. "You're nice and cool now, should begin feeling better soon."

"I hope so…never felt this bad before." Alan whispered before he looked up to meet his dad's gaze. "Sorry I left early…the smell of breakfast made me feel like I was gonna be sick."

"I thought it would…" Jeff said before nudging Alan. "Scoot over."

Alan made room in his dad's bed before being joined by his dad who held him close. Alan rested his head on his dad's chest and listened to the strong heartbeat that lay within. Listening to that sound brought more comfort than should have been necessary. While he lain on his dad's chest he was thrust back into a memory of when it was he and his mum.

' _Lucy lay in her bed cuddling Alan close, he had been running a fever the night before and had been sick most of the night. Holding Alan's head against her bosom, Lucy started singing a lullaby, something she'd heard on the internet when she'd been away at school._

 _Her voice was gentle and pure, the peaceful melody lulling Alan back to sleep. It sounded better with piano, though Lucy was satisfied that the song conveyed the message to her beloved child. If it hadn't been for Jeff, Lucy might never have known what it was to love unconditionally. Sure she loved her mum, papa and sister – but she hadn't known what it meant to love so unconditionally. From the moment Alan left her womb and was laid in her arms, Lucy knew what it meant to love a life so precious.'_

Alan began humming the lullaby, though not the song he and his mom often sang when alone. It was something that was a cover of a song off a tv show if Alan remembered correctly. Humming that lullaby and weaving the lyrics into the melody made Alan feel closer to his mum though she was gone from this world.

Jeff caressed Alan's head even as the song Alan hummed was easing him to sleep. He wondered where he heard the words before when it dawned on him. It was something Lucy had been humming to one of the whales when they'd been resting despite trying to ease the whales back into the saltwater. It was one of the things that attracted Jeff to Lucy, her voice. She sang to the whales and occasionally could be heard singing while completing tasks around the inn. Lucy had been singing to Jeff when he went to her that night that Alan was conceived. Lucy sang him the same song that Alan was humming currently.

Closing his eyes, Jeff felt himself drifting away – Alan's voice fading out as he too fell away to sleep.

It wasn't long after Jeff and Alan both had fallen asleep that four pairs of eyes peered in through the cracked open door to see their dad and youngest brother sound asleep. Virgil who seemed to be the most stealth at the moment, crept in and made sure his dad and baby brother were tucked in and well before he left just as quick as he'd entered. His sock clad feet aided in his departure and nobody knew he'd even entered to check on the wellbeing of his dad and brother.

… … … … … … …

A little while later found Jeff waking to see the precious little boy that was thrust into his life with something as simple as a phone call. Jeff wished it hadn't been Lucy being killed in a car accident to allow Jeff to get to know his little boy. The boy had never had life very easy and if there was one thing Jeff wished he could change, it would have been for Jeff to have kept in contact with Lucy after he'd left her so she'd know when his Maureen had died. Not to say he'd have been open to having a relationship so soon after his wife's demise, but he might have come around to it after some time.

He'd often wondered about Lucy after Maureen passed away and questioned if he should call her to see how she was doing. Though he really only knew her for the two weeks that he'd stayed there for work, it'd felt like a whole lifetime that he'd known Lucy.

Looking at the face of the miracle they'd created, Jeff observed little nuances that reminded him so much of Lucy and it was an eerie similarity to Maureen as well. He wondered if Alan would have looked the same if it'd been Maureen who'd been his mother instead of Lucy, though he knew it wouldn't have been able to happen. Maureen was terminally ill by the time Lucy had conceived Alan and his beloved wife had died a month before Alan was born. Maureen had died holding Jeff's hand in their marriage bed and Jeff had been near inconsolable when he'd woken mere moments after her departure only to feel Maureen's rapidly cooling hand in his. He'd sworn off falling in love or remarrying not feeling safe in his ability to love again for fear of her being taken from him so quickly.

He silently watched Alan slumber, studying his features. Alan looked like the perfect mix of he and Lucy. He had Lucy's gently sloped nose, his blue eyes, Lucy's blonde and curly hair, Jeff's ears and most of all which Jeff was happy about, Alan had Lucy's smile. Every time Alan smiled, Jeff was able to see Lucy just a little bit. Jeff wished he could have forged something with Lucy, sure his boys would have grown to love Lucy like Jeff had been able to.

When Alan began to stir, Jeff eased back so as not to startle Alan. His youngest opened his eyes and gave a sleepy smile up to his father.

"Hi…" Alan murmured.

"Hello, feeling better?" Jeff asked, curious to how his son was feeling now. He checked the time and nodded when he saw that Alan had according to his calculations been free of illness for the last eight hours. Few more hours to go before Jeff would call Alan over this bug.

"Mm-hmm." Alan murmured with a big stretch. "How long was I asleep?"

Jeff looked at his watch before he told Alan. "It's been about two and a half hours since we fell asleep. I've been up a little over an hour."

"Sorry about breakfast." Alan said softly, shame coloring his face because of his distinct lack of being able to control his gag reflex.

"Don't worry about it. I'm just glad that you're feeling better." Jeff said before he turned on the television to pick something for them to watch. "I think the both of us just deserve a lie in."

Alan nodded before he changed position to lay leaned up against his dad before he'd put on another movie. They both lay there watching TV, unbeknown to Jeff Alan kept looking up and sending his dad grateful smiles to convey his appreciation for all that his dad was doing for him. After this latest illness, Alan knew his dad loved him and he wished more than anything that he'd be able to one day express his appreciation for all that his dad has done for him. If it wasn't taking him in when he was destitute and without a home, then it was holding him through the night and drying his tears, staying calm and being Alan's rock during the maelstrom of emotion, feeling and changes this last year had been for him. Because it seemed that his dad's love was ever present in sickness as well as health and despite missing his mum more than anything when he was ill, he'd always be forever grateful to his dad for being there when the world had turned him out on his ear – lost and forgotten to be alone.

If it wasn't for his dad, Alan didn't know what he'd have done.

Looking up once more Alan smiled and mouth a silent 'thank you' to his dad before returning his attention to the movie. Jeff however saw this last smile as well as the silent word of thanks and he mouth an equally silent 'you're welcome' before pressing a kiss to Alan's forehead and pulling him close.


End file.
